Iran’s crude steel output up 7% in 11 months

TEHRAN,March 13(MNA) - Iran’s crude steel output amounted to 16 million tons in the first 11 months of the current Iranian calendar year, which began on March 20, 2012, showing 7 percent rise compared to the same period in the previous year. Some 3.2 million tons of steel products were imported during the mentioned period of time, showing 36 percent fall year on year. Iranian Deputy Industry Minister Vajihollah Jafari said in April 2012 that the country’s annual crude steel output is projected to reach 55 million tons by 2025. “The output stood at 12.7 million tons last year,” he said, adding that Iran also had produced some 16 million tons of steel products. Iran will become one of the world’s main steel exporters by March 2016, Industry, Mine and Trade Minister Mehdi Ghazanfari said in May 2011. Iran will be a self-sufficient steel producer in the next three years, the vice chairman of the Association of Iranian Steel Producers Hamidreza Taherizadeh said in July 2012. He told that despite global economic sanctions, the country’s steel output increased by 5 million tons during the past two years, reaching 17 million tons.